sci-tech center’s math midway exhibit

What a difference a year makes.   A year ago the Sci-Tech Discovery Center, a Dallas area children’s museum, opened its doors.   Its doors were connected to a very large warehouse space with unfinished walls, ceilings and mobile restrooms. After the Grossology exhibit was completed, they closed down for 6 months and redesigned the space into this… No more unfinished ANYTHING…and the restrooms are of the permanent variety.   It is beautiful!

Sci-Tech Discovery Center – 8004 N. Dallas Parkway, Frisco, TX 75034;   phone 972-546-3050 Tickets: $6.50 (Seniors $5 and under 2 are free) and Season Passes are also available (we bought ours through a local deal site) Hours:   T-F 10 to 5, Sat 10 to 6 and Sun 12 to 6

The Sci-Tech Discovery Center is currently hosting the exhibit, Math Midway. There is a multitude of fun math-related stations throughout the children’s museum. In this exhibit, Ryan(9) is solving math equations for x and y based on weights which will tip or level a pirate ship. This was Rhett(4)’s favorite thing to do.   It is a weighted pendulum that the kids attach markers and swing to create art. We took several math masterpieces home. This is Your Face on Math was my favorite.   It distorts photographs based on different mathematical equations. I have never seen anything like this before.   It is a pair of SQUARE WHEELED TRICYCLES. The way that the wheels interact with bumpy floor allow the kids to ride in circles on square wheels. There is a large bike for older kids and adults and a smaller version that had Rhett spinning. The boys built and competed against time in this design and race station. These large blocks were a big hit.   There are some patterns that you could follow to build specific brain teasing formations, but Rhett and Reid built a large mountain to jump off. I figure gravity is a math lesson too. These were really cool spinning lights that created these 3-D shapes.   They were much more impressive in person. A large portion of the children’s museum was devoted to Coordination Station, a series of wooden coordination activities. It is VERY hands-on. Blog-Stedman was really good at this fishing challenge using the two pulleys to position the hook near the wooden fish’s mouth. I was not quite as accomplished. There was a very large metal wall with a variety of interlocking magnets.   We played with the monkeys which I thought was a bit challenging, but Rhett picked it up quickly and filled the entire section he could reach quickly. This was a huge flower that you were supposed to hold with one hand in a specific position and “plant” in the flower pot.   Next to the challenge was a mathematical explanation as to WHY it was so difficult! We planned on spending an hour and ended up spending almost two.   This is the most interactive series of exhibits for kids that we have attended.   There is tons to do and see and play and we didn’t even come close to doing everything. The boys had a great time and we will be back soon.